James O'Keefe
Baltimore,MD
Summary
As a passionate classroom teacher with six years of experience in middle school instruction, I am eager to transition into a high school position. I bring expertise in curriculum development, instructional design, and creating captivating learning environments. Furthermore, my experience teaching middle school provides a context for meeting students where they are as the enter into high school, specifically as they are transitioning from eighth to ninth grade
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
6th Grade ELA and Social Studies Teacher
Baltimore City Public School System
North Bend Elementary/Middle School
08.2022 - Current
- Developed and implemented creative and engaging lesson plans that incorporated multimedia resources
- Received a "highly effective" marking on my two annual observations
- Worked as a coach for the speech and debate team
- Adapted to unexpected changes in staffing at a school with high teacher turnover rates
- Used higher-level questioning to foster critical thinking and allow students the opportunity to reflect on tools of communication in a way that raised their level of awareness about the impact of technology on our society
- Developed and implemented instructional strategies to teach students essential research and information literacy skills, fostering their ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively
- Made reading and media recommendations for students by building relationships and leveraging student interest
- Created systems of classroom management to foster student independence, while simultaneously holding students accountable for their progress towards reading, writing and literacy goals
- Developed a teaching philosophy that emphasized "learning by doing" instead of lecturing
- Developed a wholistic approach to literacy that embraces the plurality of media that twenty-first century students engage with everyday
- Used literature as models so that students could develop their own writing skills
- Worked closely with other educators to integrate technology and digital resources into classroom instruction, providing students with access to various online databases, eBooks, and educational websites.
Eighth Grade ELA Teacher
Baltimore County Public School System
Sudbrook Magnet Middle School
08.2016 - 06.2022
- Developed engaging eighth-grade English Language Arts curriculum for the district, aligning with core standards and utilizing innovative teaching approaches.
- Promoted College and Career Readiness as an AVID teacher by imparting transferrable skills such as Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading Strategies.
- Integrated diverse technology and literacy skills into daily lesson plans, fostering an interactive and dynamic learning environment.
- Successfully taught students from diverse backgrounds, including ESOL students and recent immigrants to the United States, adapting instruction to meet their unique needs.
- Implemented accommodations for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 requirements, ensuring an inclusive and supportive classroom environment.
- Led professional development sessions focused on AVID strategies and curriculum design, empowering colleagues to enhance their instructional practices.
- Collaborated with fellow educators to develop long-term curriculum plans, incorporating backward mapping techniques to culminate in meaningful and engaging activities.
Education
Master of Arts - Secondary Education With A Focus On English
Loyola University of Maryland
Baltimore, MD01.2016
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Saint Marys, MD05.2011
Skills
- Innovative Teaching Methods and Activity Planning
- Educational Software
- Problem-Solving Skills
- Collaborative Environments
- IEP Familiarity
- Individualized Instruction and Support
- Independent Thinking
- Curriculum Implementation
- Literacy Skills and Multi-Media Proficiency
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Classroom Management
- Team Collaboration
Singer/Songwriter/Recording Engineer
I've been writing singing and recording my own original music since I was thirteen years old. Over the course of the Pandemic, I became well-versed in using audio recording software to mix and master my own music.
Timeline
6th Grade ELA and Social Studies Teacher
Baltimore City Public School System
08.2022 - Current
Eighth Grade ELA Teacher
Baltimore County Public School System
08.2016 - 06.2022
Master of Arts - Secondary Education With A Focus On English
Loyola University of Maryland
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
St. Mary's College of Maryland